Why ‘woke’ Twitter calls for NutriAsia boycott

Logging in on Twitter today, one might be welcomed with calls to boycott local condiments UFC, Papa Banana Ketchup, Jufran, Mang Tomas, Datu Puti, and Silver Swan; the Golden Fiesta cooking oil; and the drink Locally.

In a nutshell, the netizens were “woken up” after the NutriAsia contractual workers were allegedly dispersed violently by the police from their already 12th day of strike on June 14, Thursday, in Marilao, Bulacan.

In their defense however, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap or popularly called Kadamay initiated the bloody clash. PNP spokesperson, Senior Supt. Benigno Durana, Jr. said that the militant group “encouraged” the protesters — who were about to leave the NutriAsia factory — to confront the policemen.

The “end-of-contract” (endo) workers were protesting against contractualization, low wages, and poor working conditions. According to the CNN Philippines, the workers also want their dismissed union leaders to be reinstated.

The National Union of the Students of the Philippines (NUSP) further explained the alleged plight of the NutriAsia workers through an infographic circulating online.

According to the NUSP, their sources are the NutriAsia workers themselves.

Based on the visuals, of the 14,000 workers of NutriAsia only 100 are employed as regulars.

The workers, thru the NUSP, also claimed that they only get Php 380 for an 8-hour work per day inside a humid working station; and they usually work for 12 to 16 hours.

All these amid the $650 million net worth of their chief executive officer, Joselito D. Campos, Jr. in 2017, the NUSP said. It added that the NutriAsia even earns Php 27 million daily per product line.

Here are some netizens joining the call to boycott the NutriAsia products in support of the endo workers:

STATEMENT: The cornerstone of LGBTQIA+ rights is human rights. Just as we spoke out against martial law, we #RiseUpTogether to speak out against the gross violation of rights through inhumane labor practices and the violence inflicted by state forces on the NutriAsia strikers. pic.twitter.com/TLF4afYAnj

EVERY WORKER’S EFFORT IS PRICELESS EVEN THEIR SALARIES PRICED LESS. WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT EVEN A SINGLE WORKER DESERVES JUSTICE IN GETTING THE SALARY THEY DESERVE TO. A SIMPLE BOYCOTT TO NUTRIASIA’S PRODUCTS CAN DO SOMETHING TO THEIR SACRIFICING WORKERS#BoycottNutriAsia